Page 27 - Plastics News August 2020

Welsh Government launches consultation on Japan announces a fee for plastic bags
single-use plastic ban
apan has announced a fee for plastic bags effective
he Government of Wales has enhanced its JJuly 1, 2020, and accordingly supermarkets,
Tsustainability commitment as it plans to ban single department stores and major convenience stores in
use plastic in the country. The potential ban including Japan started charging a fee for plastic bags. While
straws, stirrers, cotton buds, balloon sticks, plates, Japan generates less general waste per person than
cutlery, food and drinks containers made of expanded most developed countries, it produces more plastic
waste per person than anywhere in the world, except
polystyrene; and products made from oxo-degradable
the US, according to a 2018 United Nations report.
plastic, BBC reported. As part of this, Wales Housing
Japan has made efforts to cut down on plastic waste
and Local Government Deputy Minister Hannah Blythyn
since it enacted a law in 1991 that put the responsibility
for recycling packaging on businesses. But while other
countries have been waging a war on single-use plastic
for years, Japan has been slow to the game. However,
that might be about to change. This month the
Japanese government introduced a mandatory fee of
between 3 and 5 yen (3 to 5 cents) for each plastic bag,
matching a move that has already been made in the UK
and the US. Japan may consume a lot of plastic, but it
also promotes recycling as a noble civic undertaking,
according to Jeongsoo Yu, an environmental expert and
vice dean at Tohoku University. There's even a national

launched a public consultation on the proposals at a
beach clean on Anglesey. BBC quoted Blythyn as saying:
“Plastic pollution and the impact it has on our
environment is regularly highlighted in the media,
online and in conversations I have every day with
people across Wales. “It blights our communities and
has a devastating impact on our wildlife.” Additionally,
Keep Wales Tidy CEO Lesley Jones, who welcomed the
launch of the consultation said: “The damage caused
by plastics is far reaching and we are eager to see a
drive towards reusable alternatives across society.”
The move to launch consultation follows the Welsh mantra for it: Reduce, reuse, recycle. There are
government's proposal in March this year to ban a wide designated days for throwing out food waste, plastics,
range of single-use plastics from next year with the aim glass bottles and aluminum cans. While the nationwide
of becoming the world's top recycling nation. The plastic bag fee rule marks a major move to curb Japan's
reliance on plastics, Larke cautioned that the charge
country is planning to achieve zero waste by 2050.
might be too low to deter repeat offenders. Japanese
Meanwhile, the Government revealed that the easing
environmental minister Masaharu Nakagawa asserted
of coronavirus lockdown restrictions has contributed in
that Japan shared the same enthusiasm for reducing
the increasing of littering. In July last year, South
plastic waste that the G7 Pact aimed for. Japan is
Australia Government planned to ban the use of
committed to reducing disposable plastic waste by 25%
various single-use plastics, with straws, cutlery, and
by 2030 — and to reuse or recycle 60% of all plastic
stirrers the first on its agenda.
packaging and containers by the same year.
August 2020 25 Plastics News